The primary purpose of the Fund shall be to provide educational financial support to a full-time female student(s), attending Rockford College, Rockford, Illinois.

History of FundMary Louise Miller has been referred to as “Putnam County’s First Lady of Philanthropy. Born in 1909 in Rockford, Illinois, Mary Lou graduated from Rockford College and received her Master’s Degree at the University of Wisconsin. She taught physical education and chemistry at Heidelberg College from 1935-42 then came to DePauw University, where she remained until her retirement in 1974.

Mary Lou was nationally known in aquatics and held offices in the Women’s National Aquatic Forum. She served on the executive committee of the Association of Synchronized Swimming and she authored several articles that appeared in The American Journal of Physiology, The Soccer Guide, and the Aquatic Guide. She was a recipient of the Rockford College Annual Alumni Award of Distinction in 1990, she was inducted into the DePauw University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993, and she was awarded the Putnam County Community Foundation’s Spirit of Philanthropy Award in 1996.

Mary Lou was dedicated to Putnam County. She served on the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation, and, throughout her lifetime, she donated over $2.5 million to the community. She granted seven gifts through the Community Foundation and became the first public donor of a Charitable Remainder Trust Benefitting the Foundation.